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A couple of Auckland's major private schools have dabbled in billboard advertising, but private Christchurch girls school Rangi Ruru has taken things up a notch with its first ever TV ad, which has been launched to promote the school and its 125th anniversary.

The TV ad ​features Rangi students from Years 9 to 12, as well as a few old girls, and it will run in the South Island. It forms the base of an integrated advertising campaign called 'Rangi. For Life', which also features print, out of home, online advertising and social media (Alumni can get involved in the 125th celebrations and share their stories via www.rangi125.co.nz, www.facebook.com/Rangi125 and www.twitter.com/rangi_ruru).

“This year we have the unique opportunity to reflect on our proud history while at the same time looking to the future of girls’ education with Project Blue Sky, the name of our campus development programme,” says principal Julie Moor. “We are keen to celebrate our past and future with the entire Rangi family while at the same time introducing ourselves to families who are thinking about education for their daughters."

Moor says "giving girls the opportunity to be involved in activities they might not get elsewhere and to tailor their learning needs to suit them and their goals" is as much a mark of success as local or national representation or scholarship league tables. So it aimed to show that range of education it offers in the ad.

"We provide girls with the opportunity to break barriers, learn skills, discover courage, find inspiration, make friends and be part of a legacy that will stay with them for life," says Moor. “Personalisation and pastoral care are cornerstones of the RangiRuru philosophy. This focus sets girls up for life and those who return to the school this year to celebrate our anniversary will tell you that this has always been the case at Rangi."

Creative director Stephen McCarthy was behind the campaign and he says it was important for an innovative school like Rangi to "move away from the conventional advertising style that most schools follow and make a bold statement".

“We are encouraging Rangi girls, staff and parents, past and present, to get involved with the school, share their stories and help us celebrate this incredible legacy.”

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On Monday, Whittaker’s launched its latest novelty chocolate-lolly mash up with a chocolatey answer to retro bakesale treat coconut ice. The Coconut Ice Surprise chocolate has a twist though, 20c from each block goes to Plunket – a charity which New Zealanders agree is a worthy cause. However, to relate the chocolate to the charity, Whittaker's has built the campaign around baby gender reveal parties, causing a backlash from the public who argue gender norms have expanded beyond blue for boys and pink for girls.

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